Sinner's Creed - Kim Jones

To God for giving me the gift of life, the courage to take a chance, and an eternal love.

My husband, Regg. You are by far the best husband I’ve ever had. And even though you’re the only one I’ve ever had, it doesn’t make me love you any less.

Amy—you’re not just my best friend, mother of my godchild, or favorite girl. You’re my inspiration—my rock. You’re the one who helped make me who I am—which is a pretty damn good person if you ask me.

Mom and Dad—I know you’ll love me no matter how successful I am. For that I thank you. But I’m still not cutting you any slack in Phase 10.

My sisters—eh . . . I don’t really have anything special to say about the two of you. Kidding. I love you both very much. Not everyone can say that they have sisters as talented as mine. I mean, one runs ninety-nine Dollar Generals and the other has given me nineteen brothers-in-law.

Katy Evans—you helped make this book possible. Thanks for loving me and my stories. Your friendship, encouragement, and feedback played a HUGE part in this novel. You’re sweet, genuine, and make me feel like a superstar—which I really am.

Joanna Wylde—thanks for helping me make the right decisions. You’re my voice of reason. Your guidance and support are two of the greatest gifts you could ever give me. And a car . . . that would be a nice gift too.

To the girls who reassured me that Sinner’s Creed was truly everything I thought it was. Chrisy Morris, Sali with an i, Benbow hyphen Powers, Danielle Kendall, Brooklyn Brown, Katelan Awesomeness, Kathi Pepper and the Pepper girls—you are amazing. I couldn’t have done it without you. Or cigarettes. Definitely cigarettes.

My family—my aunts, uncles, cousins, stepcousins, half cousins, ex-cousins, in-laws . . . There are too many of you to list. But you know who you are. And you know how much I love you. If you don’t, I’m telling you now.

To my HNDW family—it is because of you that I have an infatuation with the lifestyle. Not only are you sexy, badass, and . . . sexy. You’re a true inspiration and your actions teach what true brotherhood is all about. A special shout-out to Jared . . . my Dirk.

My editor, Cindy Hwang. Thanks for enduring me and my antisocial, early-morning behavior. I have a feeling that was just the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. There’s no getting rid of me now. I’m like a fungus, baby—I grow on you.

Last and certainly least, I’d like to thank my agent. Even though you sometimes ignore me, I still couldn’t have done this without you. Thanks for believing in me. And remember, I love you despite all your many, many flaws. Amy Tannenbaum—you’re my horse; I don’t care if you ever win a race.

CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Epilogue

PROLOGUE

I KNEW THE man in front of me was doomed.

This was a test. I had to prove my loyalty. The club had my pride, now they wanted my innocence.

The knife I held in my hand would be kept as proof that I was guilty of murder. It wouldn’t help my case that the man was begging for his life, on his knees in front of me. We were the only two on the video. It was everything they needed. My fingerprints, my weapon, and my face. The club would use it against me if I ever